


Lioness

by lilactreesinwinter



Series: The Heart Wants What It Wants [1]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: 2009 Phan, Fluff with humour and a touch of implied smut, M/M, PINOF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 10:50:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8841688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilactreesinwinter/pseuds/lilactreesinwinter
Summary: Phil makes a video that changes his world (later known as PINOF).  You’ve seen the video; here is the story behind it, told by one who was there.





	

**Author's Note:**

> [Originally posted on Tumblr](https://phinalphantasy7.tumblr.com/post/152046289074/lioness) on 19 October 2016.

**June 2009**

The box I’ve been sleeping in rips open, waking me up. A face looks down at me, framed by sheets of straight black hair. I can see bright blue eyes flecked with green and yellow, and a quirky mouth that smiles at me as a hand reaches in to pull me out.

“Hello! You’re a bit different! I have a billion lions, but you’re the first lioness.”

He holds me out towards a shelf that is rather disconcertingly packed with plush lions of all shapes and sizes. Most look a bit stupid or scary or both—not at all my type. He turns me around so we can look into each other’s eyes.

“You don’t look as though you’d like any of them. Don’t worry—I have a special Lion who will probably suit you. I’ll introduce you later. Oh, my name’s Phil, by the way. Welcome to my room!”

He sets me aside—safely away from the lion shelf. I don’t see the special Lion. Will I like him? Phil seems to be able to read my mind, so maybe….

It’s pretty quiet in my new home. I gather that Phil is “at uni”, which seems to keep him pretty busy. When he is here in his room, he does a lot of sleeping (I approve of sleeping—do it loads myself). Most of the rest of the time he spends on his computer. I can’t usually tell what, exactly, he’s doing—sometimes he’s watching, sometimes he’s listening, sometimes he’s typing. Sometimes he has conversations over the computer, I think it’s called “Skype”. There’s a few different people he talks to that way.

The other thing that Phil does in here is make videos. I think that it’s his hobby—or his job? I’m not sure. He takes it very seriously though. He sets up his camera and talks to it, mostly. (He could tidy up his room better first! Someday he’ll regret having such untidiness in the background of his videos.) Then he sits on his bed with his laptop, doing what I think is called “editing”. I generally don’t have a good angle on this. In fact, I’m usually sat on the floor somewhere boring, to be honest.

Anyway—how could I forget—I starred in one of Phil’s videos! He decided to film introducing me to Lion (what a fail lmao). Lion just sat there looking at me, until I suggested that he could feed me a zebra—just to break the ice. I thought it would be funny. But Lion then got all awkward and said he wanted to watch Battlestar. What a dork. So I roared at him and he fell over. Really??

**July 2009**

Still pretty quiet here in Phil’s room. He’s been busy with uni and been out a lot. He’s had friends visit a couple times. They mostly hang about the room and chat or play with the computer.

I hadn’t seen that derpy Lion since he fell over when I tried to talk to him, but Phil decided to put us in another video. Lion asked if I wanted a date! I was pretty surprised, but what the heck—I said yes. He puffed himself up and said he’d take me to the cinema. I thought I’d tease him and ask him what a cinema was. That left him speechless—I don’t think he gets my sense of humour. Sigh. He’s rather cute when he’s dumbfounded, though.

**August 2009**

Phil has been working on his final video project for uni. He has had friends in and out helping him—apparently, it involves loads of blood. He has also been wondering what he’s going to be doing with his life, and worried about his transformation into a man. I wonder what makes someone a man?

In other news, Phil set up a cinema so that Lion and I could go on our date. The film was very exciting—it’s called “The Lion King”! The place where it was set is so beautiful, and clearly perfect for lions. A very romantic film for a first date. Lion asked to hold my paw. Even though this is hard for plushies to do, we imagined it together and I felt all warm and fuzzy. I’m beginning to really like Lion.

Today, Lion and I are trying to get to the Serengeti, where “The Lion King” was set. We’ve managed to get to the floor heading toward the door. Oh, no! Phil has kicked me on his way out. As I lose consciousness, I hear Lion scream, “NOOOO! HELPP!!!” I guess he really cares….

**September 2009**

So, August didn’t end well for me. Phil was very sorry for kicking me over, and put me in hospital where I had my broken leg set. Lion brought me grapes.

Happily, I was better in time for the trip back home from uni. It was a chaotic move. Lion and I got thrown into separate boxes, and his has not been unpacked yet! I’ve been sat in the corner (as usual) of Phil’s room. I’ve been watching him make a question-and-answer video almost every day for a week. He reads oddball questions from his computer—I think people send them to him—and then answers them. One day, his friend Ben visited and sat next to him on the bed to read the questions off the screen.

I hope Phil finishes unpacking soon. I miss my Lion!

**October 2009**

October has been low-key and busy. Phil’s parents went on holiday as soon as he came home, so he has had the house to himself—I don’t think he likes that so much. But he has been pretty busy online. I know he is working on “serious business”, though I’m not sure exactly what that is. I also know he is spending more time than ever on Skype. Some of the Skype calls have been making him really warm and happy. Recently, I think he got some exciting news and he seems to be expecting something wonderful to happen soon.

Phil has been directing some of this expectant energy toward reorganising his room. Whilst setting up the camera to make more room to record videos he has found all sorts of things—like a Wall-E toy, and some weights, and a cordless hammer drill, of all things (it’s not come out of the box and I don’t think it ever will).

And, best of all—Phil has unpacked the box Lion was in! He acts as though Lion was lost, but if he had asked me, I could have told him. But I have my Lion back, and Phil even put him on the same shelf as me this time! I’ve been wanting to move our relationship forward….so I told Lion I wanted to make a baby. Of course he was clueless as to what I was getting at, poor dear. I told him that maybe he could start by kissing me. He said he couldn’t reach my mouth. I have to think of everything. Kiss my chin, then!

**19 October 2009**

I don’t know what is wrong with Phil today. He got up early and tidied his room—even though he tidied it yesterday! He’s been in and out all morning—I think he’s tidying the rest of the house as well. He’s checking the time on the clock almost as often as he’s checking his fringe in the mirror. He’s practically vibrating with the energy that has been building in him over the past few weeks. I am certain now that it’s the same frickle frackle crackle of energy I feel wanting to get next to Lion. I wonder why Phil is feeling it now? Oh, look. He’s run out the door.

I wake up from a snooze and it’s evening. I hear Phil on the stairs talking to someone. I hear a voice answer that I recognise from some of Phil’s calls on Skype. The owner of the voice follows Phil into the room—a tall boy, even taller than Phil, with enormous dark eyes and brown hair in a fringe that mirrors Phil’s.

Phil is still buzzing with energy, and now I know its focus—this boy. Phil can’t take his eyes off the boy and is constantly touching him whilst giving him a tour of the room, with special attention paid to the video equipment. The boy takes in everything, remarking on it knowledgeably. When they get to the corner where I am sat, he picks me up (!), and says in a gentle voice—with an accent very different to Phil’s, “Well, hello, Lioness. I know all about you. You want to do it with Lion, don’t you?” And he winks at me!

They go downstairs and are there for hours, playing video games in the lounge, I think. When they come back upstairs it’s quite late and they take turns getting ready for bed. They get into Phil’s bed, carefully leaving a space down the middle, and check their computers and phones. Phil is pretty sleepy (the excitement of the day has worn him out!) and he puts down his computer. “Is it okay if I turn the light out?” “Yeah,” answers the boy. “Is it okay if I stay online a bit longer?” “Yeah,” Phil smiles back. “Make yourself at home.” And the smile stays on his lips as his eyes drift closed.

The boy remains absorbed in his computer for another hour. Just before he’s ready to put it down, he turns to look at Phil in the light from the screen. There is a smile on his own face as he reaches over and gently strokes his finger down Phil’s nose.

**20 October 2009**

It’s pretty late in the day when everyone wakes up. “I’m going to make pancakes!”, says Phil. “And then we’ll do our Q+A video and it will be awesome! Ah, and let me tweet out the request for questions so they’ll come in whilst we eat.”

After they have eaten, the boy takes a shower as Phil fusses with the camera setup. When the boy comes in towelling his hair, Phil’s jaw drops and he reaches out to touch the mass of curls. “'Hobbit hair’ doesn’t do it justice.”

The boy smirks. “You said you had straighteners, but yours are really crappy. It’s going to take me a long time to straighten this mess!”

When all hair is straightened and all equipment is set up, Phil pulls out his laptop. “Let’s sort through the questions from the viewers.”

“How about I sort through them and write them down on a piece of paper. Then you can have a more genuine reaction to them.”

“Okay. I’m all for genuine reaction….”

I can feel the longing in Phil’s voice and eyes. I must say he is wearing his heart on his sleeve. The boy is much more reserved. He smiles and teases and seems happy to be here, but he is keeping a distance between them. I think he really likes Phil, but he is cautious and taking life seriously. Maybe he thinks too much.

The boy has his paper ready, and he and Phil are sat on the floor in front of the camera. Lion and I are sat on the floor in front of them, right below the camera. I am so excited, I can hardly contain myself! Everyone is excited—this is going to be the best video ever.

“I’m going to start filming,” says Phil. “We’ll just keep it rolling and not worry about going off script. I’ll edit it all later.”

“Okay,” says the boy. He picks up Lion, puts him on his shoulder, and begins. “If you had to lose your leg or your nose, what would you lose?”

Phil laughs. “I’d lose my leg. Imagine my face without a nose.”

“Voldemort has no nose.”

“I’d look like Voldemort.”

“Voldemort’s pretty fit, to be honest.”

“I really look like Voldemort.” Phil peers at his face in the monitor. “Harry!”

“I would bang Voldemort.”

He would bang….Voldemort?? Just one question in, and already the chemistry is off the charts. And I don’t even have my Lion with me—he’s way up on the boy’s shoulder (and looks pretty comfy up there, hmph).

They have already done some more questions, and I’ve missed them because—chemistry. Now the boy leans toward the camera.

“I am naked right now.”

“Ohhhh!” gasps Phil. This is not how Phil typically responds to viewers’ suggestive comments. But in the boy’s mouth….

Speaking of the boy’s mouth, he’s now putting Lion in it, and Phil is telling him to tame the Lion with his mouth. Phil! Phil Phil Phil Phil! Don’t leave me out of all this. I want to come along on this wild ride.

Phil must hear me—with a knowing smirk he scoops me up and thrusts me toward the camera. “Let’s go for it!”

Lion and I are sat back down on the floor and the boy reads the next question close to the camera.

“Why do you always make cat whiskers on your face?”

“Meow!” says Phil, and sits back. “I don’t always do that.”

“They are probably thinking of your Dailybooth picture where you looked like a furry.” They boy gives Phil a look. “Let’s put whiskers on both our faces.”

More questions asked, now that they have noses and whiskers drawn on their faces with black marker. Phil makes his usual animal noise for a giraffe. They practice pronouncing “zebra” (my favourite animal!). They take the camera on a long excursion through the house to prove that it’s haunted. They sit nearer to or farther from the camera. They pick up random objects—Phil puts Wall-E on the boy’s face, and the boy licks it. The boy holds out one of those big dumb lions to Phil and tells him to kiss it.

“Is it fun being a man now?”

“Yeah!” Phil answers. “Specially now I’ve got my cordless hammer drill!”

“So manly!” says the boy, and they both dissolve in a fit of giggles.

They take a break for some food downstairs, and when they come back Phil is describing some editing techniques. Phil grabs his laptop and they prop the pillows up on the bed so they can sit looking at the screen, their heads touching.

“How many questions are left?”

The boy looks at his paper. “Just a few, really.”

They check their fringes and straighten their clothes. They don’t seem to notice that their whiskers have faded and the black has almost smudged off their noses. I guess boys don’t notice such things.

“Should I even bother asking about your feet?” the boy reads.

“No!” Phil holds his feet up to the camera. As they laugh, Phil leans over and tucks his head against the boy’s chest. The boy’s smile doesn’t change as he gently pushes back at him until Phil sits up again.

“Would you and your Lion ever have a threesome with Hannah Montana?” (Hey!)

There is a flurry of activity, and a picture of Miley Cyrus is printed out. Then the boy is stuffing the paper in his mouth, moaning, “Miley”. At least it’s not Lion in his mouth this time!

“I think you should quack.”

Phil quacks.

“Should I have a sex change?”

“You’re fine just as you are,” says Phil, then claps a hand over his mouth.

The boy looks at him. “Maybe we should leave that one out.”

There are two more questions and then the paper is done.

“Now can you sit behind me—on the other side there—and maybe tell the camera how your first Q+A went.”

The boy scoots into position. He looks solemnly into the camera. “This was the most fun I’ve ever had. Oh!” he exclaims. Phil has turned from the camera and tackled him to the floor. Lying in Phil’s arms, practically nose to nose, he doesn’t know where to put his hands. He finally gives Phil a quick hug and pushes him back up.

Phil clears his throat. “Let’s say goodbye to the camera.” They say their goodbyes, ending with the boy practically licking the camera lens. The viewers are going to think that this whole video took place inside his mouth!

They turn off the camera and pick up their laptops. I notice that before he gets onto the bed, the boy tucks the piece of paper with the questions carefully into his bag. I have the feeling that he will keep it for a long time. They settle comfortably on the bed, shoulder to shoulder, and share what’s on their screens long into the night, until they finally crawl under the covers.

“Do you like to spoon when you sleep?” Phil asks shyly.

The boy smiles. “I love sleeping spooned with my friends.” So Phil tucks himself around the boy and they drift off to sleep. I snuggle up to Lion and we do the same. It’s been quite a day!

**21 October 2009**

When they wake up—late in the morning again—Phil and the boy have rolled apart. The boy is face down hugging his pillow, the way he likes to sleep. Phil snuggles closer to him and rubs his back, eliciting a sleepy smile. I’m glad I’m sat up on the shelf pressed next to Lion—I’m enjoying the view. Wait, what?—I’m enjoying being pressed up to Lion too. Funny how I’m getting it all mixed up. That magical energy is just thrumming through everyone in the room this morning. Lion and I have been figuring out how to use it to overcome the limitations of our both being plushies, with some thrilling results. I’m pretty happy about that! I’m not sure why there’s been no slap and tickle going on in that bed. But I’m certain the connection is strong, and I believe that there is nowhere these two can’t go together. I know Phil’s heart, and he would move heaven and earth to make it happen.

By the time they’ve come back from breakfast downstairs, it’s almost time for the boy to leave (he has to go? already?). They take a quick look together at some of the footage from yesterday. “You’ll use your jesus editing skills, right, Phil?”

“Yeah, it’ll be awesome! I’ve already been thinking about which clips to put in what order. You won’t even recognise it from the order we did it in yesterday. But the flow—”, he looks up into the other’s eyes, “—the flow will be unmistakable. Everyone who watches the video will see it.”

The boy blushes as he returns Phil’s stare. “Like being in a trance?”

Phil grabs both his shoulders. “Yes.”

The boy laughs and asks, “Can I have the cat face pen to take with me? As a memento? I promise I’ll bring it back.”

“Yes!” Phil snatches up the pen and shoves it against the boy’s chest, making him stumble and laugh again. Phil catches him into a rough hug. “I’m so glad you came.”

The boy delicately extricates himself, with a pat on Phil’s shoulder. “Me too. And we’ll see each other again very soon.”

**22 October 2009**

“I’ve thought of the title for the video—our video,” Phil says excitedly into the Skype window.

“Oh? What?” comes the soft, teasing voice from the computer.

“‘phil is not on fire’! Combining our user names. Isn’t that great?”

“Yeah, that works,” laughs the disembodied voice.

Oh, for heaven’s sake! Sorry not sorry that this is so cheesy, but it has to be said: that’s the most inaccurate video title ever. “phil is not on fire”?? I am here to tell you this: Phil is on fire—for Dan.


End file.
